Plaintiff lawyer reaches for jurors' emotions

Petrocelli: 'Lovely, living boy is no more'

January 22, 1997
Web posted at: 4:30 p.m. EST

SANTA MONICA, California (CNN) -- As jurors sat grim-faced
and two women panelists appeared close to tears, a lawyer for
the plaintiffs in the O.J. Simpson civil trial implored the
jury to make the former football star pay for the slaying of
Ronald Goldman.

"Fred Goldman's lovely, living boy is no more," lawyer Daniel
Petrocelli said to conclude his summation.

Goldman's relatives wept as Petrocelli spoke of the father's
love for his son and replayed a videotape from a family
religious celebration showing Ronald Goldman dancing and
singing.

"God knows where I'll be in a year," Goldman tells his
stepsister at her bat mitzvah. "I love you."

Petrocelli, speaking in a near whisper, told the jurors,
"I think we would agree whatever your ethnic, racial, or
religious background is, there isn't a loss greater than a
parent losing a child."

He said Fred Goldman's life "will never be the same" and that
no monetary award will bring back Ronald Goldman or Nicole
Brown Simpson. Petrocelli then pointed at Simpson and fired,
"There's nothing that man can do to bring these people back."

"In the end, it all comes down to this," Petrocelli said,
leaning close to the jury box. "There's blood. There's hair.
There's fiber. There's cuts. There's a sweatsuit. There's a
hat. There's no alibi. There's plenty of time. There's
motive."

"What's on his side?" he asked. "His word that he did not do
it?"

Simpson, 49, was acquitted in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife
Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman. He is being sued for
damages by the victims' relatives, who believe he is the
killer. A 9-3 jury verdict is enough for the plaintiffs to
win. If found liable, Simpson may have to pay millions of
dollars.

Petrocelli started his summation Tuesday, and was followed
Wednesday by John Kelly, a lawyer representing the estate of
Simpson's former wife. Kelly was expected to discuss the
domestic violence aspect of the case.

Simpson's lawyers were to give their closing arguments later
Wednesday, and the case could be in the hands of the jury
Thursday.